A Man Like Morgan Kane (29 page)

"Does Morgan think Seth was the one who—" Anne Marie asked.

"No, of course he doesn't,"Bethanysaid. "It's just that Morgan—"

"I can speak for myself." Morgan hovered in the doorway, his massive shoulders filling the wide space.

Bethanygasped. Anne Marie jumped. Seth knotted his hands into fists at his sides.

"Morgan, you mustn't think Seth is the one who killed Jimmy or that he tried to run you and Mama off the road tonight," Anne Marie pleaded. "If you knew him the way we do, you'd know he couldn't harm anyone."

"Thank you for that vote of confidence," Seth said. "Now, little girl, you must go on upstairs to bed and
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

get some rest. And so must your mother. Why don't you two take care of each other and stop worrying about me?"

"Morgan, promise me that you won't be mean to Seth." Anne Marie looked Morgan straight in the eye.

"All I'm going to do is ask Seth a few questions," Morgan replied.

"When you finish questioning Seth, I'd like to see you for a few minutes before you go to bed,"Bethany said.

Morgan nodded agreement.Bethanyled Anne Marie up the stairs quickly. Morgan turned his attention to Seth, who closed and locked the front door.

"Would you care for a brandy, Mr. Kane?" Seth asked. "Or perhaps some Scotch?"

"Scotch will be fine," Morgan said, and followed Seth into the study.

Seth turned on the light, illuminating the masculine, wood-paneled room. Going straight to the bar, he lifted a bottle of Scotch, poured a liberal amount into two glasses and held one out to Morgan.

Morgan accepted the glass, lifted the liquor to his mouth and drank slowly, allowing the hard, aged whiskey to slide down his throat, warming a trail to his stomach.

Standing behind the bar, his drink untouched, Seth looked directly at Morgan. "I'd rather you didn't bother Eileen with a lot of unnecessary questions. I can tell you whatever you need to know."

"Where were you between nine and nine-thirty last night?" Morgan swallowed another gulp of Scotch.

"When Eileen found Anne Marie's note, she called my house, but didn't get an answer," Seth said. "Then she called me on my cellular phone. I was out driving aroundBirmingham. When I'm restless and have a lot on my mind, I often just get in the car and drive for an hour or two, until my head clears."

"So, you were out just driving around when Bethany and I were run off the road?"

"I don't have an alibi for that thirty minutes," Seth admitted freely. "It was before nine when Eileen called me and I didn't arrive here at her home until well afterten o'clock. I was all the way across town and traffic was heavy. It always is on a Friday night. So, you see, Mr. Kane, if you can't take my word that I didn't steal James's car and deliberately try to run you and Bethany off the mountain, I'm afraid you'll have to keep me on your list of suspects."

"Who besides you, Eileen and James knew that Bethany and I were at her house tonight? Someone knew where we were. And the only way they'd know what time we leftBethany's and what route we took was if they waited nearBethany's house and followed us."

"I'm not sure who else might have known." Seth pondered the question for a moment, then snapped his fingers as he remembered something. "Eileen mentioned that Vivian Crosby had stopped by earlier in the afternoon and had asked aboutBethanyand how she was coping with the indictment and the break-in at her house."

"Did Eileen tell Vivian Crosby whereBethanywould be last night?"

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"I'm sure she did. Vivian has been very supportive of Eileen since Jimmy's death and Eileen has … well, you know how Eileen loves attention. She knows that Vivian was quite fond of Jimmy, so she'd have no reason to suspect her in his death. Vivian's been stopping by on a fairly regular basis."

"I'll double-check Vivian's whereabouts," Morgan said. "But according to Tony Hayes, Vivian was at WHNB last night, along with several other members of the Wake Up Birmingham crew, preparing a special tribute to Jimmy."

"Then Tony has an alibi for that time, too?"

"Tony had a dinner date, or so he told us. I'll have to verify his story."

"So, you've narrowed your suspects down to the three of us?" Seth asked. "To Vivian, Tony and me?"

Seth lifted his glass of Scotch off the bar.

"Unless there's someone else out there that we don't know about." Morgan finished off his drink, set the glass on the bar and walked toward the door. Pausing just before exiting the study, he glanced over his shoulder. "Don't be guilty, Renfrew. Please, don't be guilty."

Seth's face paled. He clutched the crystal glass so tightly that it cracked and broke, splattering liquor over his hand. Morgan walked out of the study, leaving the door open behind him.

* * *

Morgan sat down on the top step of the stairs, removed his phone from his pocket and dialed Hawk's private number.

"Whoever the hell this is, you'd better have a damn good reason for calling me in the middle of the night,"

Hawk growled into the phone.

"Who is it?" a feminine voice asked.

"Hawk, it's Kane. Tell your lady friend that it's business."

"Your timing is the pits," Hawk said.

"I need you inBirminghamas soon as possible. Can you be here beforenoon?" Morgan asked.

"I'll check in with Dane and then be on my way by sunup. I should be there before brunch."

"Tell Dane to set a fire under all the investigators digging into Renfrew, Vivian Crosby and Hayes."

"Will do."

* * *

Waiting in Morgan's room,Bethanypaced back and forth. The minute she heard his footsteps in the hallway, she ceased her repetitious trek and met him at the door.

"How's Anne Marie?" he asked.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"She cried herself to sleep,"Bethanysaid. "Her worldhas turned upside down the past few weeks and now her heart is broken."

"James had to do what he did, say what he said." Reaching out, Morgan graspedBethany's shoulders and backed her into the bedroom. Lifting his foot, he kicked the door closed. "Anne Marie isn't old enough for a love affair. You've got to give James credit for realizing that fact."

"I know he did the only thing he could, under the circumstances. I just wish Anne Marie didn't feel things so deeply."

"The way her mother does?" Morgan drewBethanyinto his arms.

She wedged her hands between them, separating their bodies. "Did Seth have an alibi for—"

"No."

"He didn't do it. I know Seth, and he isn't capable of murder."

"Everyone is capable of murder, given the right provocation," Morgan said.

"Seth would never harm me."

"Can we leave this discussion for later? Our arguing about Seth Renfrew's possible guilt or innocence isn't going to change either of our minds. You believe in his innocence. I'm keeping him at the top of my suspects' list, along with Vivian Crosby and Tony Hayes. And as far as I know right now, Renfrew is the only one with a motive."

"Concentrate your investigation on Vivian or Tony, not Seth!"

"Let's drop this for now, honey. I'm tired. You're tired. We can discuss this more rationally when we've both had some rest." What he wanted—what he needed—was to bury himself deep insideBethany, to take her hard and fast and lose himself in the pleasure of possessing her once again. He wanted to taste her sweet lips, to savor the feel of her body wrapped around his.

Jerking out of his hold, she backed away from him. "All right. We'll talk about this later. I'll leave you alone so you can go to bed." The blood rushed through her body as her heart pounded loud and fast, thundering in her ears. The last thing she wanted was to leave Morgan. She desperately wanted—desperately needed—to make love to him, to give and receive the ultimate pleasure.

He grabbed her wrist and yanked her up against him. "You're not going anywhere. Not for a long time.

Not until I say you can go." Narrowing his gaze, he stared at her with hungry eyes.

Her stomach quivered. Her hands shook. Caught in his mesmerizing stare, she took in deep gulps of air.

Her breasts rose and fell with each labored breath. Her nipples peaked.

She gasped when he took her mouth in a hot, devouring kiss. Standing on tiptoe, she wrapped her arms around his neck and yielded to the power of her own desire. She could not deny the overwhelming longings that commanded her every action.

With a haste born of passion, Morgan stripped her clothes from her body, all the while kissing her, touching her, aiding her as she yanked off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"I want you." He growled the words, his need a wild, burning rage within him. "I want to—"

Bethanycut off his words of need with a tongue-probing kiss. Clinging to him, pressing her throbbing breasts against his naked chest, she rubbed herself intimately against him.

He backed her up to the bed, bent his head and suckled her breast. She moaned with pleasure, then pulled his shirt loose from his pants. When she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his slacks, he shoved her down on the bed, then hurriedly removed his holster and laid it on the floor. He divested himself of the rest of his clothes, tossing them haphazardly onto the floor.

The moment he came to her, big, hard and fully aroused,Bethanypulled him down on top of her, then urged him to turn over and allow her the dominant position. He turned, lifting her, taking her with him.

Lying flat on his back,Bethanystraddling him, he grinned. "Is this the way you want me, honey?"

"Yes," she said. "Just like that."

She kissed him, then nibbled at his mouth. When he reached up to grab her, she manacled his big wrists and threw his arms above his head, holding him down as she rubbed her breasts across his hairy chest.

When he groaned deep in his throat,Bethanysmiled, loving the feeling of power she possessed. "Just lie there. Don't touch me. Not yet."

"You're running this show, honey. Do whatever you want to me."

She began a sensual assault that soon had Morgan regretting that he'd agreed to her demands. She covered every inch of his body with her marauding mouth, her hot, enticing tongue and her tormenting fingers.

He realized that the glorious attention she gave him came from her own desperate need, but when she eased downward and flicked her tongue over him, he ceased to think coherently. Easing her hand under his buttocks, she used her fingers to excite him, while her mouth pleasured him, quickly bringing him to the edge of fulfillment.

When he felt himself losing control, he pulled her upward, then flipped her onto her back and thrust into her. She met him lunge for lunge, returning to him all that he gave her. Their mouths mated with the same wild urgency while they tossed and tumbled, consumed by the fury of their passion. Their climaxes came simultaneously, so perfectly in tune were their hearts and minds and bodies.

As the aftershocks of completion rippled through them, Morgan liftedBethanyin his arms, eased under the covers and held her close, whispering her name, his lips caressing her damp neck.

Bethanyclung to him, afraid that time was running out. She would take all that he offered now, knowing there might well be no tomorrow for them.

* * *

What the hell was all that noise? Morgan roused from a deep sleep, his eyelids fluttering as he tried to open his eyes.Bethany's breasts pressed against his back. Her slender arm draped his waist
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

She groaned. Awakening slowly, Morgan realized that his cellular phone, inside his coat that lay on the floor, was ringing insistently. And someone was knocking on the door.

Rising to a sitting position, he tossed the covers to the foot of the bed and gaveBethanya gentle shake.

She groaned again, then opened her eyes to narrow slits.

"What is it?" she asked. "What's that awful sound?"

"Wake up, honey." He gave her another gentle shake. "We've got company. Someone's knocking on the door, and my cell phone's ringing."

She shot straight up, totally oblivious to her nakedness. "What if it's Anne Marie? How will I ever explain—"

"Morgan!" Eileen Farraday's soft, sweet, Southern voice demanded in a loud whisper. "Morgan Kane, wake up. There's a man downstairs who says you sent for him."

The phone continued ringing. "Dammit!" He crawled out of bed, rummaged through their discarded clothes until he found his jacket, then lifted it off the floor. He picked up his rumpled shirt and tossed it to Bethany. "Here, honey, put this on and go calm your mother down before she wakes the whole house."

Bethanyslipped into the shirt, buttoning it quickly, then jumped out of bed and ran to the door. Easing it open just a fraction, she peeped out at her mother.

"Bethany?" Eileen's mouth gaped, forming a horizontal oval. "I should have known."

"What do you want, Mother?"

"It's nearlyeleven o'clock."

"We didn't get to bed until dawn,"Bethanysaid. "What's this about some man being downstairs waiting on Morgan?"

Morgan answered the phone. "Kane here. Could you hold for just a second?" He hissed atBethany.

Widening her eyes questioningly, she glanced back at him. "It's probably Hawk. I called him before I came to bed last night. Tell Eileen that no matter how intimidating he looks, he's not in the habit of killing anyone beforenoon."

Bethanygrinned, then forced a mock frown as she glared disapprovingly at Morgan. Turning back to her mother, she said, "Mr. Hawk is an associate of Morgan's. Why don't you have Mrs. Volz serve him some breakfast while he's waiting?"